Friday Night Asks [THWQ]

Enjoy these questions for a little Friday night fun.

1. Who is your favorite actor/actress on the stage?

– Hmm, I don’t see stage shows, so I’ll go with Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan for film.

2. What are your top three favorite musicals?

– Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady (but I love so many more!).

3. Who sang Little Drummer Boy best?

– Joan Jett.

4. Do you prefer stage, television, or movie productions?

– Movies.

5. What is green with white spots?

– Moldy lime gelatin.

6. If you could only have one drink for the rest of your life, what would it be?

– My fave Bigelow Constant Comment black tea flavored with orange.

7. Who would you like to be stranded in an elevator/lift with?

– A fireman.

8. British, American, Canadian, or Australian English – who does it best?

– Hugh Grant. Can I change my answer to no. 7?

9. How do you like your potatoes?

– With Mr. Grant.

10. What is one breakfast item you don’t like doing without?

– The tea I mentioned above.

11. Butter, Margarine, or something else?

– Butter.

12. What do you like on your waffles?

– Butter & maple syrup.

13. Do you use social media (which platform)?

– WP, Twitter, Nextdoor, Reddit.

14. What is orange and only bounces once?

– A tropical print check.

15. What music videos/songs best sums up your childhood, teenage years, young adulthood, and current age (4 songs)?

– Stones by Neil Diamond.

– Movin’ Out by Billy Joel.

– California Dreamin’ by the Mamas & the Papas.

– The Story by Brandi Carlile.

16. Does is feel like the holidays/Christmas?

– Sure, the chocolate pizza has arrived. Every year another law firm sends us one because we referred a client to them once. When it’s on the counter, all festive, then Christmas is official.🎄

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Saved by Giraffes, a Christmas Flash [325]

Santa’s hand hovered over the plate for several moments before he decided upon a particularly festive Christmas cookie. Mmm, it looked buttery and delicious…

As soon as he lifted the treat from the plate, an alarm shrieked. The lights in the house came on and a couple ran out from a back room. They looked incongruous ~ wearing happy holiday pajamas but holding scary baseball bats. Santa didn’t have any bats in his sack, just some stuffed giraffes, an electric toothbrush, and a pair of slippers. It was the end of this route.

“Hold on there,” Scary Man said. “We need to see some ID.”

Santa backed up. “ID? But I’m Santa. Look at my beard! And my red suit.”

Scary Woman laughed. It was a scary laugh. “Anyone can buy those at the party store. We looked outside and didn’t see any reindeer. Explain that!”

“They’re tired and hungry,” Santa said. “I let them hang out at the diner down the street and wait for me. The lady there said she’d give them some oatmeal.”

Scary Man remained skeptical. “Where’s your driver’s license?”

Santa reached into his bag.

“Hey!” Scary Woman raised her bat. “What are you doing?”

“Offering you a gift,” Santa said. “It’s what I do. Your other ones are wrapped, but this is extra.”

Scary Man rejected the overture. “A giraffe? Honestly, do you think we’re idiots?”

“Wait, honey,” Scary Woman said. “When I was little I had a book called A Giraffe and a Half, and it was one of the last books Mom read to me before she died.”

“Awwww.” Scary Man hugged Scary Woman, and they weren’t so scary after they put down their bats and held stuffed giraffes instead.

“Can I have my cookie now?” Santa asked as they went upstairs to bed.

Whew, that was a close call. He picked up his sack, stuffed in all the gifts, and left with his cookie. It really was delicious.

~*~

Photo courtesy of HW Daily Writing Prompts

Communication Breakdown (1-2-3 Quote Me)

First, I give a big thanks to Rory for choosing me to play. I don’t consider this game breaking my rules because looking on Goodreads for quotes is writing-related, kinda, sorta, if I tilt my head just right.

Second, I present two quotes on the topic, which is communication, a very good topic for writing. (See?)

Third, I tag three bloggers to continue the game. I’m going to tag groups of bloggers to make this even more fun!

Group 1: boy bloggers.

Group 2: girl bloggers.

Group 3: everyone else.

I hope I didn’t leave anyone out or gawd forbid offend anyone. Mwah! Have a great Friday!

30-Day Song Challenge: Not Again!

Day 14: My Wedding? 😱😱😱 There’s only one song suitable for this occasion…

https://youtu.be/bm51ihfi1p4

The Liars Club

Like Fandango, I’m already breaking my own rules and playing a game instead of writing, aka lying. Blame Rory and his Daily Fun Three.

Name Three…

Three of your childhood books?

– Arty The Smarty, The Velveteen Rabbit, Little House on the Prairie

Three of your best memories?

– the themed parties I did for my kids ~ forex… one Barbie/pink, one Halloween/pirates, and one backwards birthday (probably the most fun ever)

Things that are yellow and triangular?

– a slice of lemon meringue pie and a lemon square cut on the diagonal which is now two triangles if you know math which I do so that’s three right there boom 💥

Wishes you would like to be granted if you had a magic genie lamp?

– instant and complete elimination of all weapons that cause mass death and our ability to make more of same, eliminate pollution everywhere, fix my fucking heater since my landlord is ignoring my text 😡

Beautiful places you have ever visited?

– Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, Monterey, CA

Things you fall back on to make you feel better when having a bad day?

– sugar, rage, resolve

Things that best describe your family?

– smart, successful, funny (daughters & sons-in-law)

Of your favourite blogs?

– Fandango, The Haunted Wordsmith, Msjadeli (also all others, bloggers or not, who comment here regularly… much ❤️)

Things you would choose if you had ten minutes in your favourite store if you didn’t have to pay for them?

– three fucking heaters

Dishes you can cook in less than 15 minutes and ready to eat direct from serve?

– I don’t understand this question

Pet peeves?

– passive aggression, vehicles with obnoxious blindingly bright headlights, BMWs in general

Bird species beginning with the name G?

– gnu, goose, green parrot 🦜

Of your most favourite letters from the alphabet?

– XYZ

Of the most boring things you have ever done?

– tried to read Ulysses, played Encore with geniuses, driven from Irvine to LA on a Friday night omg

Questions you would ask of your pet if you could?

– why are you so yowly, why don’t you bury your p00ps so our enemies won’t find us, why can’t you let me smoosh you when I’m cold???

Of your favourite cartoons from now or when younger?

– the Pink Panther, Rocky, Bullwinkle

Of the emoticons you use the most when writing or in social media or comments?

– ❤️😀😂

30-Day Song Challenge: ‘70s!

I officially became a teenager in 1974, so we can “kill” two songs with one stone here for Days 12 and 13. Just kidding, I have two stones. 🎶

My choice for Day 12, a song from my preteen years is “Cover of the Rolling Stone,” a hilarious 1972 tune by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Yep, I was a warped kid. It begins early! 😂

https://youtu.be/-Ux3-a9RE1Q

And for Day 13, here’s one of my very favorite songs of all time: “Stones” by Neil Diamond, 1971. ❤️

https://youtu.be/t0kfeS9WGBA

A word with the chef, if you please…

I would like to order off the menu some reasonable seasonal weather.

A lovely green spring for starters, with bunnies and chickies, some daisies and daffies, but no pollen, no sneezies, no itchies, no rashes. 🌷

Followed by summer: sunbright and surging, full of fun things, but hold the mad fling, I’ve grown quite allergic. ☀️

I’ll take a spiced fall, with just a dollop of crazy, no exes at all, and please throw in a Valium, you’ve met my friends, okay, make it ten.🐿

Just put winter in a box, completely to go; don’t bring that shit here cuz it’s too stressful and cold… no, not even with brandy, your best in the house, get away from me now, did you hear me ~ GET OUT!!! 🥶🥶🥶

~*~

Prompt provided by Patricia

One-Liner Wednesday: Cats

Cats 🐱 are perfection. If there is a Supreme Designer, she really outdid herself with felines, small ones especially. Such efficient little killing and grooming and reproducing machines. All while remaining preternaturally adorable, of course. Well, to me. I’m sure your average sparrow has a different opinion.

Cats have hit the news a bit lately. There’s been some buzz about their tongues and how the “bristles” are optimally formed for wicking up saliva to cool kitty during grooming. Also, the bristles get down to the skin and grab dirt and other nasties away from kitty proper. Fascinating stuff.

I guess there are big huge fish and eensy weensy ones too, but for whatever reason I find it so much more interesting that tigers 🐯 exist and also little baby kittays.

~*~

Prompt via Linda

Quote from Goodreads

Fandango No. 5 [FPQ]

It’s like Chanel No. 5, only a lot cheaper and won’t trigger a migraine.

So here’s this week’s provocative question (actually three questions):

“Is there a ‘blogging-you’ who is different from the real-world you? If so, how are the two ‘yous’ different? How has the ‘blogging-you’ evolved since you first started blogging?”

Yes. I am different here, but not just in Blogville.

There is an online-me who is somewhat different from meatspace-me. In the real world, I’m a small, older woman and I’ve been alone for many years. I have no one to back me up, physically, financially, emotionally, etc. So, I’m very careful. Extremely cautious. I am known as kind, sweet, helpful, by most. In fact, when people have met me in person after knowing me online for a while, they said I’m a lot nicer than they thought I’d be.

Online, I feel freer to state my opinions, to make jokes about whatever thing. To diss our horrible POTUS whenever I please, no matter who is around. I dgaf about people’s delicate feelings, nor do mine get hurt easily here. It’s words on a screen. Move on if you don’t like what you read. I do. I block racists on Twitter; I don’t cry over them. I also feel free to say no, to not do things I don’t want to, to simply fucking ignore irritating people, to ghost them, to delete, to mock, to parody… and there were years I used to troll the trolls. I’ve quit that though.

In meatspace, I don’t do most of that ever. I only make jokes when I am comfy with my audience. I did do a few rounds of stand-up comedy at a venue I felt okay about ~ it was tame comedy, relatively speaking. I usually don’t ignore people. I say thank you and no thank you and sorry, even to bums asking for money. If the gross guy dumpster diving at my apartment complex says good morning, I say it back. I try not to make enemies. I try very hard not to make anyone angry or displeased. When I fail, which is rare but it happens, I feel bad. Online, I don’t care.

Sometimes it turns out that characters on the screen and real people occupy the same space in the Venn diagram intersection, which can be tricky for me to deal with. It’s hard to go back and forth, and I haven’t fully mastered that task, since I am also a character of my own creation, continually evolving, except exactly the same person since I was 14 years old. Paradox. I think only one of my readers will possibly be able to grok this paragraph. No, not you. 🙄

That’s two questions answered. As far as the third, I have become much more discreet since I began my first blog. I say waaay fewer personal things now, hard as that may be to believe. But those who were reading Ultrablog know. Plus even this blog had much more daily life type stuff for a while. It’s not that I’m paranoid now, but more that my life has become such a bore there’s simply nothing to say.

I’m not complaining. You can have the “interesting life” fortune c00kie. After the drama I’ve had, I prefer boringness.

Foiled by Lobby Music!

Date: Tuesday, December 11, 2018.

Time: 1:55pm.

Location: My office building, Irvine, CA.

Deets: I innocently step out of the elevator into the lobby, on my way to get the mail, and what do I hear?

NOT THE BOY?!?! 😱😱😱

🎶 pah-rum-pah-rum-rum🎶

Oh noes! I didn’t think he’d get me at work. I’ve stayed out of the malls. I’ve been so good, so careful. But when it’s your time, there’s nothing you can do. You’re gonna go down. That’s just the way it is.

Until next year! Onward!

PS: The mail wasn’t even ready yet. 🙄